Rising Tide

by Jonathan McHugh

“I’ve formed deep connections to specific places in nature during each era of my life in the coast of Southern California, deciduous forests of Iowa, and mountains of Colorado. Returning to these places countless times over the years, I see them through the lens of remembered past selves walking the same paths. I paint these landscapes on location and in the studio using various combinations of watercolor, ink, drawing media, and oil paint, while often applying the paint using found organic materials such as sticks and leaves as brushes. As I create numerous representational studies and abstract textures, I tear and reassemble them into larger fragmented compositions, repurposing the leftover scraps in accumulated textures. This process echoes cycles of nature while emphasizing the fragility of these environments amid growing human impact.”